BOONTON TOWNSHIP — Township of Boonton Planning Board will hold a meeting Monday, August 3, 2020, at 7:30 p.m.
The regularly scheduled meeting will be held by conference call only.
The public is invited to attend.
Dial In: (978) 990-5409; Access Code: 4639520#
Click here to view a copy of the agenda.
MADISON — Donn Russell, 72, was killed in a single-car crash in Morris Township.
Russell was driving on Park Avenue near Powder Horn Drive when his car veered off the road and crashed in a wooded area around 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, August 1
Russel of Madison was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Morris Township Police Capt. Robert Shearer. There were no passengers in the vehicle.
The crash remains under investigation.
MADISON — The following students have been named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in [December 2019]. This is a distinction earned by students whose cumulative grade point average is 3.8 or higher. Though we have been delayed in sharing this news due to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please know that our pride in our students who reached this high level of academic achievement is as strong as ever. Congratulations to the 572 students on our Dean’s List!
Olivia Kranefuss a 2018 graduate of Madison High School. Kranefuss, the child of John T. Kranefuss and Ellen N. Kranefuss, is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies at Bates.
Pierson Rambusch a 2018 graduate of Seton Hall Preparatory School. Rambusch, the child of Edwin P. Rambusch and Sharon S. Hubby, is a sophomore majoring in neuroscience at Bates.
Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world. Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through a creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin. Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Supervisor Patrick LaGuerre, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, and Morris County Freeholder Tayfun Selen joined the local Islamic Community during an Eid Ul-Adha prayer service at the Islamic Center of Morris County in Rockaway Borough on Friday, July 31.
Eid-ul-Adha Prayer was celebrated around the world on Friday, as the pandemic curfew forced people to limit gatherings and maintain social distancing.
The Islamic Center of Morris County, NJ is registered with the State of NJ as a 501(c) (3), Non-Profit Religious & Educational organization for Muslims.
MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 171. The Order extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020, through Executive Order No. 103, which was previously extended on April 7, May 6, June 4, and July 2. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.
“New Jersey has made a lot of progress in the fight against COVID-19, but we cannot declare victory yet,” said Governor Murphy.“As we continue to work to save lives and stop a resurgence of this virus, we need access to all resources available to do so.”
Executive Order No. 171 extends all Executive Orders issued under the Governor’s authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act. It also extends all actions taken by any Executive Branch departments and agencies in response to the Public Health Emergency presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Click here to download Executive Order No. 171.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Supervisor Patrick LaGuerre of the Community Outreach & Recruitment Unit joined the local Islamic Community during an Eid Ul-Adha prayer service at the Islamic Center of Morris County in Rockaway Borough on July 31, 2020.
Hosted by the Islamic Center of Morris County (ICMA) and the Jam-E-Masjid Islamic Center (JMIC), Eid Ul-Adha, also called the Festival of Sacrifice, is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God’s command. But, before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, an animal, usually, a sheep, is sacrificed ritually. One-third of its meat is consumed by the family offering the sacrifice, while the rest is distributed to the poor and needy.
Prosecutor Knapp stated, “I was delighted that the Islamic Center of Morris County extended an invitation to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office to participate in the prayer service celebrating the holiday of Eid Ul-Adha. The Islamic residents of Morris County and the surrounding region consistently demonstrate their commitment to our diverse community and quality of life”.
BOONTON TOWNSHIP — For almost as long as it has existed as a member-supported, non-profit land trust, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has been providing scholarships to residents of New Jersey pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration, and related fields.
For the past 36 years, this program has been rewarding environmental scholars who plan to pursue careers protecting the natural resources of their home state. This year the $7,500 Russell M. Myers Scholarship is awarded to Jessica Zhao, a senior at Duke University majoring in environmental science and policy with a concentration in marine conservation.
During the past year, Zhao volunteered with Peruvian nonprofits to reverse eutrophication in an Andean wetland and met with sustainability-focused businesses, organizations, and leaders across Scandinavia. She also studied at the Duke Marine Lab under a Rachel Carson scholarship, which trains promising students to become the next generation of marine conservation leaders. She will use her research on governance in Eastern Indonesian marine protected areas to complete an honors thesis before graduation.
This summer she is gaining political experience in a state-level organization that holds elected officials accountable for the environment. The $7,500 Rogers Family Scholarship goes to Toyosi Dickson, a recent Rutgers graduate whose deep involvement in her campus and devotion to her community has earned her the Reich Scholarship, Dr. Samuel D. & Anne E. Faust Memorial Award, and a place in the George H. Cook Honors program at Rutgers.
In between all research, she found time to dedicate herself to her EOF program’s Community of Students Involved ‘N’ Education (COSINE) Club as the chair for professional development. Dickson is going on to pursue a master’s degree in environmental justice at the University of Michigan—a place she has already gotten to know as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar.
Rick Simon led the Conservancy’s Scholarship Committee. This year there were more applicants than ever, and the competition was tough. The committee reviewed 20 applications from current undergraduate and graduate students, paring down the candidates to five who that they wanted to interview (this year, over Zoom). From this pool of superbly qualified individuals, Zhao and Dickson were chosen. Simon says, “TLCNJ is proud to be able to help these two outstanding women achieve their career goals. It was a pleasure for our entire committee to meet Toyosi and Jessica, as well as all of the applicants we interviewed.
It was exciting and inspiring to hear about the leading-edge discoveries and breakthroughs they are all involved in, related to clean water, land preservation, and combatting climate change. Our only regret is that we are financially limited to these two scholarships since each year we meet more and more truly remarkable young people who are making a huge difference in this field.”
Both students are up for the challenge. Dickson says, “You would think that the award money is the most important thing to me about this scholarship, but it’s not. This is the culmination of all my hard work finally being valued and recognized; it’s earned me this scholarship and admission into graduate school. It tells me that others—professionals in my field—value my research studying the impact of environmental decisions on underrepresented communities, and I am further determined to go the distance.” Zhao expressed a similar sentiment. “It is an honor to be this year’s recipient of the Russell W. Myers Scholarship. I am excited to use my education to continue advancing climate action and influencing policy in New Jersey and beyond.”
The Russell M. Myers Scholarship was established in 1983 to honor Mr. Myers, founder of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. An outstanding leader in the field of conservation, Mr. Myers was the first Director of the Morris County Park Commission. His dynamic leadership established the Morris County Park System, which remains the largest county park system in New Jersey and one of the finest in the nation.
The Rogers Family Scholarship was established in 2005 by Gray and Mollie Rogers, dedicated conservationists who wanted to expand The Land Conservancy’s educational support for outstanding students passionate about protecting our natural environment. Gray Rogers is a trustee emeritus of The Land Conservancy. In 36 years the scholarship program has awarded $300,000 in grants to 60 outstanding college students.
Past recipients have hailed from nearly 40 different New Jersey towns and have used their scholarships to obtain bachelor, master’s, and doctorate degrees at an array of institutions including New Jersey’s own Rutgers and Stockton Universities.
Their fields of study have included environmental law, policy, and planning, as well as chemistry, wildlife ecology, geography, landscape architecture, and forestry management. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member-supported, non-profit, accredited land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting natural land and water resources throughout the State. Originally founded as an all-volunteer group in 1981 the organization has worked with 100 municipalities in 13 counties and continues to be recognized for meeting the highest standards for protecting open space, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that their conservation efforts are permanent.
For more information about the work of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, visit their website www.tlc-nj.org or call (973) 541-1010.
MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio voiced his concern that the state’s special education students are being forgotten as plans for the re-opening of schools in September continue to evolve.
“Going back to school is a dynamic situation right now, and specifics are changing every day,” said Pennacchio. “What about the plans for special education students? These students face unique challenges and the Department of Education and school districts must make it a priority to ensure their needs are met and the quality of special education exceeds the standards.
“My message to the Governor and the education commissioner is clear: Don’t forget about special needs. Special needs should be on the top of your list.”
Disruptions like those created by the coronavirus pandemic can have a much more severe impact on special students who depend on consistency and familiarity, Pennacchio noted.
“They learn differently. They are taught differently. We can’t expect to sit them in front of a computer at home and effectively educate them,” said Pennacchio. “It’s just not practical.”
Pennacchio said the state has had five months to devise a plan for special education, but there has been no sign of one.
“I don’t want special education to resemble the horrific rollout at the MVC. These kids and their parents deserve better, and they are counting on a responsible approach from the state,” said Pennacchio.
“We should have had a plan in the works for months. The Legislature should have been involved, holding open committee hearings to determine the best ways to approach this,” the Senator said. “Where’s the plan, any plan, that could be properly vetted out and discussed?”
Senator Pennacchio has been on the forefront of fighting for special needs children. For years he has been calling for the state to pay the entire cost of special education, a move that would help students and property taxpayers.
Pennacchio also worked with Senate President Steve Sweeney, trying to get the state to pick up extraordinary special education costs.
Extraordinary special education costs are expenses districts incur while providing direct instructional and support services to a special education student. In some cases, the costs for an individual student can exceed $100,000.
MORRIS COUNTY — Frustrated by the Governor’s refusal to loosen restrictions on restaurants for indoor dining, Senator Joe Pennacchio proposed legislative action to address the stalemate that is suffocating the state economy.
Pennacchio implored the Senate to adopt an amendment to S-766 to allow restaurants to follow appropriate precautions and open their doors to indoor customers immediately.
The Democrat majority instantly moved to block the effort, and as a result, restaurants remain off-limits indefinitely, subject to the Governor’s impulse.
“Arbitrary rules are destroying an entire industry. This was an opportunity for the Legislature to become directly involved in pandemic public policy but the Democrats passed,” said a disappointed Senator Pennacchio. “They chose politics over the best interests of New Jersey’s crucial hospitality industry and the hundreds of thousands of residents who depend on it for their livelihoods.
“I appreciate my Republican colleagues who backed the amendment, but it was disappointing we didn’t have bipartisan support, and the measure was voted down. This is something our state desperately needs right now,” Pennacchio said.
The floor amendments proposed by Pennacchio would permit indoor dining as long as establishments followed basic health precautions, including a 25 percent seating capacity, maintaining recommended social distancing guidelines, and restrictions on customers tested with a fever of 100.3 or higher.
“We would require common sense,” said Pennacchio. “Social distancing, wear a mask when you enter the establishment, monitor temperatures before patrons are seated, no congregating around the bar. These are workable solutions that would enable the state to move into the next critical phase of economic recovery.
“Every weekend that passes without indoor dining, the number of established, successful restaurants in danger of going out of business forever increases. This can’t go on.”
MORRIS COUNTY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) today released a statement slamming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his failure to act with any sense of urgency on the expanded unemployment benefits that expire today:
“Seventy-eight days ago, the House passed the Heroes Act, which included critical funding for state and local governments and expanded unemployment benefits. Since May, the unemployment rate has remained higher than even its height during the Great Recession, including in New Jersey. Economists on all sides have said that the expanded unemployment benefits have helped millions of Americans, keeping them out of poverty and ensuring that consumers are spending at Main Street businesses. In my own community, I heard from housing and homelessness organizations this month about the crucial role of expanded unemployment benefits in keeping residents in their homes during the pandemic.
“The expanded benefits expire today. For the Senate to allow a lapse in these benefits now, as COVID-19 continues its spread across the country, is unacceptable. It will put more stress on families and is contrary to our obligation to support Americans during this time of crisis. I told my constituents I was going down to Washington last week to pass additional relief measures, but Senate Majority Leader McConnell has refused to move forward on a realistic package that will keep families whole and this week said he supported slashing benefits to millions of Americans.
“The Senate GOP’s proposed 70% wage replacement level, in particular, represents a huge loss to New Jersey claimants. Our state’s normal UI law already provides a 60% wage replacement, so this new federal supplement would at most provide an additional 10% of an unemployed person’s pre-crisis average weekly wage. For a family who earned $40,000/year before the pandemic, this would be a weekly benefit of just $77/week compared to their current federal benefit of $600/week.
“Senator McConnell needs to act with the urgency this situation demands. Millions of Americans are depending on Congress to extend this vital lifeline.
“It is also critical to ensure that employees are incentivized to return to work when it is safe for them to do so, especially as our small businesses work to rehire and reopen. I’ve crafted a proposal that will both continue to support our families through this critical time period as well as provide incentives for people who are able to find jobs and safely go back to work.”
Morris Focus was founded in 2017 and is published in print and online formats. Its mission is to provide timely and accurate news coverage to Morris County residents and promote community engagement and involvement. The newspaper covers various topics, including local government, education, business, and sports. We can be reached by calling (973) 559-6000—a member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.
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